What it means
گلپر کوهی (golpar-e kuhi) names Persian hogweed (Heracleum persicum), a tall umbelliferous plant native to the mountains of Iran and the Caucasus. All three parts of the name are native Persian: گل (gol, flower), پر (par, feather, referring to the feathery leaves), and کوهی (kuhi, of the mountain, from کوه kuh). The dried, ground seeds are sold simply as گلپر (golpar) and used as a pungent, slightly bitter spice with citrus undertones. It is distinct from European hogweed and has no widely used single-word synonym in Persian, though vendors sometimes label it just golpar or ادویه گلپر (adviyeh golpar).
How to use it
- یه قاشق گلپر بریز روی باقالی. (ye qashoq golpar beriz ru-ye baqali.) “Sprinkle a spoon of golpar on the fava beans.”
- گلپر کوهی از کجا میشه خرید؟ (golpar-e kuhi az koja mishe kharid?) “Where can you buy golpar-e kuhi?”
- بوی گلپر همه جا پیچیده. (bu-ye golpar hame ja pichide.) “The smell of golpar has spread everywhere.”
- بدون گلپر، باقالی پلو ناقصه. (bedune golpar, baqali polo naqese.) “Without golpar, baghali polo is incomplete.”
Cultural note
گلپر is one of the most distinctively Iranian spices and is rarely found in the cuisine of neighboring countries in the same way. It is most famously paired with باقالی (baqali, fava beans) in the beloved spring dish باقالی پلو (baqali polo), and it is also sprinkled on boiled fava beans sold by street vendors in late winter and early spring. The spice was documented in classical Persian botanical texts and remains an important part of northern Iranian regional cooking, particularly in Gilan and Mazandaran where the plant grows wild. Ground golpar loses its aroma quickly, so freshly ground seeds are preferred by cooks who use it often.